Stryker Highlights Need for Healthcare Industry's Commitment to Sustainability Efforts

As the title sponsor of the CleanMed Conference in Phoenix this week, Stryker Corporation highlighted the need for the healthcare industry to support and increase commitment to healthcare sustainability.

"Many hospitals and healthcare organizations are aggressively pursuing sustainability as a key strategic goal. However, their goals cannot be achieved without the committed partnership of their suppliers," says Marci Kaminsky, Strykers vice president of communications and public affairs. "At Stryker, we believe that an industry-wide effort is necessary to lead healthcare sustainability through the development of products, services and comprehensive programs that support the conservation of environmental, natural and hospital resources. The medical technology industry is in a unique position to affect change."

Stryker has partnered with Practice Greenhealth to engage hospitals and other suppliers at the CleanMed conference in an effort to enhance and support integrated, effective sustainability initiatives. Exhibiting in booth 301, Stryker is one of a few leading, global medical technology companies that attend CleanMed and are members of Practice Greenhealth.

Hospitals rely on Stryker to deliver products, services, and programs that have a measurable impact on its customers ability to deliver quality care, with a focus on the health of patients, caregivers and the environment. Stryker is also engaged in efforts to lower the environmental footprint of its own operations and explore and pursue new sustainable healthcare initiatives that deliver results. Some of its current efforts include:

Health of the Caregiver

- Beds, stretchers and emergency medical equipment that is designed to reduce or eliminate tasks that can cause strain or injury to caregivers backs, arms and shoulders

- Surgical fluid waste management systems designed to protect hospital staff and patients from the potentially hazardous fluids and surgical smoke collected during surgical procedures

- Personal protection systems that are designed to provide protection for healthcare workers against contamination and exposure to infectious bodily fluids

Health of the Environment

- Supply chain solutions, such as reprocessing and remanufacturing, that help divert medical device waste from landfills and reduce supply costs, thus enabling a reallocation of resources to support other quality care initiatives

- Certain products that help hospitals reduce waste, including surgical fluid waste management systems that replace disposable suction canisters, as well as beds and stretchers designed for disassembly and recycling at the end of their lifecycle

- The use of recycled steel content, environmentally-friendly coatings and green circuit boards in certain products

- LEED-certified manufacturing facilities in Portage, Michigan and Suzhou, China

- The use of packaging in certain products, such as recycled content in boxes and plastic, and blister packs instead of expanded polystyrene foam cushioning, is evolving to be more environmentally-friendly.

- Collaboration with vendors and contractors to align supply chains with Strykers environmental standards